Integration als Aufgabe der Goethe-Edition

Abstract The Weimar Edition of Goethe’s literary works, scientific writings, diaries, and letters (1887–1919) remains a scholarly landmark, although its deficits were recognized early on. The paper summarizes the history of efforts to replace and supplement this edition from the post-World War II era to the present, highlighting the development, current state, and future prospects of Goethe editions in the digital age. Integration is one of the key tasks. The PROPYLÄEN project was initiated in 2015 and aims to consolidate separate biographical editions – letters by Goethe, letters to Goethe, diaries, encounters, and conversations – into a unified research platform, thus enhancing accessibility and scholarly utility. Integration will also be essential for a comprehensive digital representation of Goethe’s literary works, given the size and complexity of the transmission and especially the textual overlaps between different works and biographical documents. The paper emphasizes the need to adapt editorial principles to new digital usage scenarios, while maintaining and redefining philological standards, and outlines a data architecture designed to facilitate integration and reuse within a broader research data landscape.